The effect of antenatal magnesium sulfate on left ventricular afterload and myocardial function measured using
A T James1, J D Corcoran1,2, B Hayes1
1Department of Neonatology, The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
Assess the effect of antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on left ventricular function measured using deformation and rotational mechanics imaging.
Study Design:
Infants who received MgSO4 were matched for gestation, birth weight and mode of delivery with controls. Echocardiography was carried out on days 1 and 2 to measure left ventricle longitudinal strain (LV LS), twist, untwist rate, ejection fraction (EF), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR).
Results:
Thirty-eight infants with a median gestation and birth weight of 27.1 weeks and 923 g were included. On day 1, the MgSO4 group (n=19) had a lower SVR and higher LV LS, EF, twist and untwist rate than the Control group (n=19) (all P<0.05). There were no differences between the groups on day 2.
Conclusion:
Antenatal MgSO4 administration is associated with a lower SVR and higher myocardial function on day 1 in preterm infants <29 weeks gestation.
